Pitch invasions at a Gateball event! Unbelievable but true. Here’s the picture to prove it.

What’s more, an Australian team was there to be part of it. It was the end of an exciting finals series game between Fujian,a Chinese team, and Sata King, a Japanese team.

That game has now been posted on Youtube by the KGU, who hosted the event at Namwon, in South Korea, four years ago. See what all the excitement was about by following this link: to the video. 

For those who have never attended a large international GB event, note the gong to start the game, the buzz from the crowd and the challenge of playing on a chewed up soccer stadium. Even though Australian teams only play a few games, the excitement of the event is something to experience. 

96 teams participated in this spectacular tournament and the Australians attending engaged in diverse pursuits afterwards, including visiting cultural sites in Seoul, checking out the the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea and hiking in those magnificent mountains rising at the back of the stadium in the picture below.

Although we have not heard officially, this year’s Asian Gateball Championships cannot take place. That’s a disappointment, as many Australian players indicated at our 2019 Australian Gateball Championships that they were available for selection for the 2020 event.  However, let’s hope the World and Asian Championships will be played again soon.

The 2021 Australian Gateball Championships, at the Gold Coast from the 17th to the 19th September, are scheduled to be the selection event for the 2022 World Gateball Championships. Please start thinking about it now.